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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · root · cell · calf · wave · march · racket · dip

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. march — the month
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. march — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com